Based out of the UK, MotoSafe is a name that implies exactly what you’re thinking…it’s a safe for motorcycles. While presumably you could use a MotoSafe for your private residence (think apartments & condos), the real benefit of MotoSafe comes in the form of safe paid-for-parking in metropolitan areas. With room for not only a bike and gear and for a small fee, MotoSafe could provide the city rider with all the peace of mind they need.
This week will feature a slightly different format than usual, as we’ll be coming to you directly from the 2009 EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. With media reveals starting in 24 hours, each morning this week we will bring you the latest news from the show, which is expected to have a bevy of motorcycles shown to the public for the first time (well that is of course unless you’re already an avid A&R reader, in which case you’ve already seen some of these bikes).
Come early, come often, but expect the bulk of the days’ post to come like a fire hose in the morning (PST). You can also check back to this post to see a directory listing of articles stemming from EICMA. Also, for the absolute latest happenings, check out A&R StreetLevel as we’ll be tweeting away throughout the week. Enjoy!
The 2009 EICMA Story Listing:
Last updated 11/11/09 @ 5:00pm Milan time.
New race teams seem to be flocking to the 2010 MotoGP season. First it was Italian hopeful FB Corse, and now Spanish Inmotec has joined the fray with their own MotoGP bid. With their official launch to come at the Valencian GP, Inmotec hopes to enter their 800cc prototype racer, the the Inmotec GPI 10, with success against not only the other privateer teams, but against the factory squads as well. More after Inmotec after the jump.
The latest data from the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), suggests that the end of cascading motorcycle sales may be near. According to the MIC, the combined new unit sales for motorcycles, scooters, and ATVS during the past 9 months were down 40% from last year’s numbers. While still frighteningly low, these results show a 2% rebound in sales when compared to the first 6 months of 2009.
Honda by most standards is the rock of the motorcycle industry, so take notice with the news that the Japanese manufacturer is preparing to cease its production lines in Santa Perpetua, Spain. While not an outright closure, 160 employees will be laid off, taking the Spanish Honda workforce from 340 employees to 180.
It’s doom and gloom today. The motorcycle industry continues to be slogged on the nose like a near-sighted proctologist, as exports from metric manufacturers declined by 65% this June from 2008’s figures. This drop comes after May only showed a 58% loss over last year’s numbers, showing an escalation of the problems for the motorcycle industry, instead of the beginnings of an abatement. For those who aren’t keeping score, 2009 so far has sold 25% less units than 2008, with the crunch hitting the hardest as sales normally would pick up during the summer.
On July 13th, the Ducs Fly South to New Jersey Motorsports Park to try and settle the age old question of what’s faster around the track? Motorcycles or Cars?
To answer that question, three Ferrari Challenge cars will take to the track, driven by the staff from Universal Autosports. Immediately following that race, a series of professional instructors and racers from Ducati will perform an identical contest piloting the Bologna Bullets. The top bike and top car from each series will then compete head-to-head, to see who should win the crown.
NJMP will be open to the public for the racing, and you can even bring your own bike to the track, and get some track time in yourself. More on that after the jump. Hat tip to Howard.
The Federal stimulus package signed into law yesterday is laddened with initiatives designed to help boost our nation’s economy. None of these provisions, however, will affect the die-hard motorcyclist more than the provision, which allows motorcycle buyers to deduct the sales and excise taxes on their 2009 tax return. Yeah, you really just read that. If you buy a motorcycle under $49,500 and subject to certain restrictions, you can take the tax portion of the OTD price and subtract it from your tax statement next April 15th. How much a buyer benefits will depend on the taxes paid and their personal tax situation, but it the case of your typical sportbike, that’s still nearly a grand off your taxes.
Motorcycle dealers counting on a big boost will not find it here and would be far better served by concentrating on building their business and delivering excellent customer service.
According to a study done by Randall Dale Chipkar, author of Motorcycle Cancer?, the vibrations caused by modern motorcycles do not cause impotence, erectile dysfunction disorder, or cancer.
Let’s all breath a collective sigh of relief.
However, Chipkar postulates in his book that while the vibrations and pressure from the seat do not cause these medical problems, the electromagnet fields coming from the bike’s electronics do. Luckily, Chipkar has a solution for us concerned motorcyclists, an electromagnetic shielding motorcycle seat, which he also just so happens to hold the patent on. According to the book, the electrical components a motorcycle generate an electromagnetic field, which in turns causes all sorts of problems in the male baby-making area.
At least now motorcyclists can cite a book when someone accuses them of compensating for something.
It’s easy to make Polish motorcycle jokes, and we could easily make a few more here if we were so inclined to pick-apart every little mistake a bike builder inevitably makes along the way, but we won’t. Read for more to see how the lastest version of this 4 cylinder, X-pattern motor is coming along.
Everyone knows that the Ducati Desmosedici is the closest us mortal men will get to riding a true GP bike, and everyone knows they were produced in limited numbers. Because of this even the social elite had a hard time getting their hands on them since they ran out so quickly. So how does such a limited edition bike all of a sudden find a way to be un-sold-out all of a sudden?
According to Michael Lock, CEO of Ducati North America:
“We are fortunate to offer a few units to those interested individuals who were closed out of the initial ordering process…as the global run of 1500 bikes comes to an end we are notifying interested parties that we have secured inventory to deliver in the coming months, but only if they act quickly.”
I have a couple theories on this:
1) Bologna has switched to the base-8 counting system, and undercounted how many bikes they produced.
2) A box of Desmo’s fell-off the boat on their way to America, and until now were thought lost at sea.
3) The economy
4) El Niño
5) Ducati of North America saw that they under-priced the Desmosedici, and thus sold it at a price far-below what the market was willing to bare, and as any good micro-economics professor would suggest is bumping up supply to meet the demand curve for peak efficiency.
Regardless of what answer you choose, the news is this…if you missed your chance to buy a Desmosedici in the United Stats, Canada, or Mexico, here is your second chance.
Source: visordown
The correct answer is #4. El Niño (Spanish for: The Nino) is in fact the cause of mysterious bike productions, the current economy, and French-Canadians.